OPERANT TREATMENT OF OROFACIAL DYSFUNCTION IN NEUROMUSCULAR DISORDERS

The popularity and reported success of biofeedback treatment for neuromuscular disorders has occurred despite a lack of research identifying the critical variables responsible for therapeutic gain. In this study, we assessed the degree to which severe neurological dysfunction could be improved by using one of the components present in all biofeedback treatment, contingency management. Three cases of orofacial dysfunction were treated by reinforcing specific improvements reliably detectable without the use of biofeedback equipment. The results showed that contingency management procedures alone were sufficient to improve overt motor responses but, unlike biofeedback treatment, did not produce decreases in the hypertonic muscle groups associated with the trained motor behavior. The findings suggest that sophisticated, expensive biofeedback equipment may not be necessary in treating some neuromuscular disorders and that important clinical gains may be achieved by redesigning the patient's daily environment to be contingently therapeutic, rather than only accommodating the disabilities of the physically handicapped.     

Assessment of the value-attitude orientations of American Indian children

The project was carried out in cooperation with two Sioux Indian reservations and a neighboring Indian boarding school in the American Midwest. An instrument was developed for assessment of the attitude-value orientations of elementary age Indian children. Subscales represent value dimensions upon which Indian and Anglo children can be hypothesized to differ. Heavy participation of Indian people was present at every stage of development of the scales. Factor analysis and analysis of variance data which address construct validity are presented. Rationales are offered in support of the need for development of assessment techniques which are oriented toward, and emerge from, the minority group point of view.     

Creative problem solving as a result of majority vs minority influence

A comparison of influence processes exerted by a majority versus a minority is made, both theoretically and empirically. In this study, comparing the two processes in the same experimental setting, it was hypothesized that subjects would ‘follow’ the majority more than the minority, that is, they would be more influenced to adopt the exact same position. However, it was predicted that subjects exposed to the minority would be stimulated to find new solutions to the problem, solutions that were not offered by the minority but that the subjects would not have found by themselves. Further, these solutions would tend to be correct rather than incorrect. Results support these predictions.     

When stereotypes hurt: Three studies of penalties for sex-role reversals

Three studies that demonstrate penalties for sex-role reversals are reported. In each study, subjects evaluated men and women who behaved either in line with sex-role stereotypes or counter to them. The results show that popularity ratings and perceived psychological adjustment of both passive-dependent men and aggressive-assertive women were adversely affected. The findings are discussed in terms of their contribution to recent theories about women's achievement motivation.     

Interpretations of sexual harassment: An attributional analysis

Two studies were conducted to examine an attributional model of judgments of sexual harassment. The key assumption of the model is that judgments of sexual harassment involve the attribution of negative intentions (e.g., hostility or callousness) to an actor with regard to a sexual behavior. The two studies effectively demonstrated that many factors known to influence the attribution of intentionality play an important role in judgments of sexual harassment. The findings are discussed with regard to understanding how people differ in their judgments of sexual harassment.The studies described in this article were reported in a presentation at the 1986 meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association in Chicago.     

Hemispheric asymmetry in the perception of emotional sounds

Three experiments were conducted to investigate hemispheric asymmetry for the perception of emotional sounds. Pairs of human nonspeech sounds were presented dichotically in a forced choice recognition task. Under divided attention conditions (Experiments 1 and 2) an left ear advantage (LEA) emerged during the second block of trials. Performance accuracy for the left and right ears was equal during the first block of trials. Under selective attention conditions (Experiment 3) an LEA emerged during the first block of trials. The results suggest that attention influences the rate of development of the laterality effect but not the direction of the effect.     

Cognitive correlates of map-reading ability

The performance of ROTC students on the Relief Format Assessment Test (RFAT) was regressed on psychometric variables and a measure of hemisphericity. Contrary to expectation, it was found that measures of visual-spatial ability and hemisphericity were not good predictors of map-reading ability, whereas the Extended Range Vocabulary and Mathematical Aptitude Tests were significant predictors. Factor analysis of the RFAT indicated the existence of two factors, one tentatively associated with terrain analysis and the other with altitude estimation. Mathematical Aptitude along with Form Board predicted performance on the altitude estimation factor, whereas Extended Range Vocabulary along with Similarities and Institution predicted performance on the terrain analysis factor. These results suggest that at least for our subjects, the solution of map-reading problems is primarily dependent upon verbal-analytic and to a lesser extent upon visual-spatial ability.     

Minority Influence, Divergent Thinking and Detection of Correct Solutions

In many applied settings involving influence processes in small groups, the interest is in how such processes aid or hinder effective decision making and problem solving. In a recent formulation, Nemeth (1986) argued that exposure to opposing views emanating from a minority leads to divergent thinking, a process that involves a consideration of the problem from varying viewpoints. On balance, such influence would aid performance. Exposure to opposing majority viewpoints leads to convergent thought where S s presumably concentrate on the proposed viewpoint to the exclusion of other considerations. On balance, this form of influence tends not to aid performance and may prove to be an impediment. In the present study, these hypotheses were tested in the context of anagram solutions. Results showed that subjects exposed to the minority viewpoint found more correct words and they achieved this superior performance by a usage of all possible strategies. Subjects exposed to the majority viewpoint initially used the strategy suggested by the majority to the detriment of other strategies and, in general, performed at the level of control subjects. These results are discussed in terms of potential contributions made by exposure to dissenting minority viewpoints in small group decision-making settings such as trial by jury and in society at large.